Instagram actively seeking and destroying photos published through third party apps [Update]

Those of us attempting to use Instagram on our Windows Phones are left with no alternative but to utilise third party solutions. These apps are solid offerings in place of an official app from Instagram, but of course we're essentially going through back doors to get our content published. All was well for a short while with uploads presently available for viewing, but Instagram has evidently had enough.

It would seem as though Instagram is cracking down on content uploaded and shared through third party apps as popular unofficial app Instance appears to have been blocked. We only just covered some issues with Instance, but Daniel Gary, developer of the app took to Twitter to keep everyone in the loop with what's happening:

Gary also states he's been in touch with Rudy Huyn, another Windows Phone developer who is looking to create an unofficial Instagram app. It would appear as though it's not just Instance that's affected. According to the Instance developer, Instagram is actively seeking out photos uploaded to the service through third party apps to remove them immediately.

One could assume that Instagram is tracking accounts that use unofficial apps, including Instance. Unfortunately there's little developers can do except work around the issue. After all, we're talking about reverse engineering APIs, which isn't exactly placing developers and users in Instagram's good books. That said, the service could quit wasting resourcing in battling uploads from third party apps and release an official solution already.

Gary has confirmed to The Verge that he's actively working on a fix, but the issue is affecting all users of Instance. "It’s their servers, their service. What I was doing was not approved by them and was using their private API." We'll monitor the situation, we're sure more will follow. For the time being, Daniel Gary has stated he's hidden Instance from the Store.

Update: An Instagram spokesperson has confirmed with The Verge that they recently made some API changes. They claim the changes are made to fight spam and increase security. The changes aren't targeted at any specific app, like Instance, and instead impact any app using Instagram outside of the official API.

Reader comments

Instagram actively seeking and destroying photos published through third party apps [Update]

I don't get it! Why Instagram anw? If you want to share photos, there're many other apps can do so. And yes, it's lack of your friends, but if your friends don't use it, and so do you, then how can you expect it to be used by others? The fact is Instagram started with no friends of yours... Just use it and show your friends how is it better than Instagram! You chose wp8 in the beginning without friends too!

We customers should lead and demand the service companies or we leave it. Not to be leaded by them... What's wrong with it?

Additionally, I just visited my profile for the first time without being logged in...and the only photos which loaded were the ones I uploaded from the official app. Photos which were added through Instance did not show up until I logged in. So, not only are they actively deleting uploaded photos, they've also flagged past photos and aren't displaying those to anyone who isn't logged in.

You give a lot of attention to Gary, but should follow Huyn as well. Being another player/developer in the race, from my perspective, you should throw some money at the screen when checking his Twitter.

So what, they think any content from apps other than their officially developed one is "spam"? Instragram users will only be allowed to post content through their approved channels that they can regulate and enforce, and effectively "ghettoize" everyone else? Technology shouldn't feel like we're being socially ostracized here!

I don't use instagram, after this I never will, it is one thing to stop uploads going forward, another to delete previous photos already uploaded. We should all boycott Facebook. I always thought it was an arrogant company.

OK, we still have Hipstamatic/Oggl, but I hate their UI. And there is no way to upload images already in your library/taken with the native camera app. If I am trying to capture a shot quickly, by the time I launch Oggl, the moment is gone. I wish they would at least update it so you can select images you have already taken. The way to apply filters isn't as intuitive either. I think most people just want a simple way to take a photo, apply a filter, and upload it. Instance was perfect at that.

Instagram only thinks short term, they are happy now because they probably took some bribe from google or apple, but companies that don't think long term will go down in time.
What if in a few years android and ios will have only 5% market share and windows phone will have 90% market share, like in the pc? Windows phone users will remember what Instagram did to them and the company will go down in flames.

Ok so instatards once again kill an experience that could have been good for them. How about this - everyone email into the president of the USA and say how instatards ate freaking screw heads and are deliberately trying to slow competition OS's. Or what ever you like. So say the pres gets 500k emails o one subject it may force his hand to at least get some questions answered on it.

1. I can't believe people didn't see this coming.
2. I REALLY cannot believe that people didn't see this coming.

It was made clear from the start with Instance that any change to the API could affect the function of the app. The article here needs to be updated to reflect that Instagram have made an API change to improve security which is preventing uploads from unsigned/unnofficial apps.

Yep (from the Verge): An Instagram spokesperson has confirmed that the company has implemented a recent change to its API. "We recently made an update to the systems that we use to fight spam to help prevent future attacks and increase security," says a spokesperson. The change will affect any apps accessing Instagram outside of the official API, and it appears to be a broad change that doesn't target any particular application. 6tagram, another third-party Windows Phone Instagram client currently in beta, is also experiencing issues

I get that, but what's up with them deleting old photos? If Instagram wants me to stop posting from 3rd party apps, okay, But don't just start deleting old photos and wiping accounts. That's not cool...

Over the past weeks I've been struggling to justify posting to Instagram. I mean, I have Twitter and Facebook where I have all the people I'm interested in sharing pictures with. Being honest, its only these same people of whom I share pics with on Instagram anyway! In light of this news, I will no longer support the social site/app. I can see how some will be annoyed, but for me there's no real loss.

Someone clearly hates Windows Phone. So much even that they'd actually screw their own customers. Some services (sites, apps) are begging for active users and Instagram does everything it can to force them to competitors.

Mine is still working to browse my timeline but I will stop publishing photos through Instance for now... I assume, because Hipstamatic Oggl has an agreement with Instagram, that publishing through that app will still work.

wp is such a good platform it is starting to make others aware that it came to shake things up!!
It is only natural for google and iOS to try and persuade the likes of instagram and others from opening up to us WP users.
In time it will be more profitable to make use of a third platform and such things will become irrelevant.
So don't worry guys it will take time but most developers are migrating to windows phone.

I would like to see nokia backing those guys in protest against an official app, maybe hacking apis of their own and adding to #2instawithlove and see where that leads like Microsoft did with their oficial Youtube app!!
Regards
Márcio

How are they petty enough to have time to search and destroy thoughtful apps but can't even develop their simple app for the WP8 platform? There must be more to this. Maybe a deal between Google & Facebook to keep Instagram off Windows Phone. I mean Facebook doesn't make an official app for us, so I don't expect an Instagram app any time soon. I might just stop using Instagram. But what is the deal with the MSFT/Facebook relationship? It isn't good and it seems like Google might play a role in this (a la Facebook Home).

Hello my friend, but the old pictures that you posted is not showing to others. Mine either. Only the recently and with another apps like instagraph. The worst, That I always used Instagraph and now I am facing all the blank album (only to me is showing)=/

I think what we really need to ask ourselves is whether we should continue to use Instagram when somebody is able to reverse engineer their API's? How safe would our photographs be on Instagram??? Of course most of what we share is intended to be public and hardly anything personal and for show off and attract others to admire your snaps and comment and like them. Am I missing something here???

This is one hot topic!
There are more than enough WP8 & WP7 users to justify an official Instagram App but nowhere in this equation is it justifiable to pull rank and block 3rd party devs and limit user experiences.

I say: Everyone who has a Facebook account and owns a WP should disable their account in Facebook until they fix this **** or make an Instagram app for Windows Phone.
I don't use Instagram, but I know that because it doesn't exist for WP people have doubts in changing their Android's or iPhone's.
So... we have power... we just need to start using it.

Never used instagram, and never will..... but i hope there are developers who can create good app (even better than that blessed instagram) and build the wp ecosystem up.... screaming here will do us no good.....

Options:
-Use Oggl [Sike! that app sucks]
-Not upload from WP anymore [I still have IG on my old Android, so I can still upload pics from it]
-Wait and see if they start deleting my pics, then delete my account

As windowsphone user we should come up with our own photo sharing/video messaging app. We have the best phones or the market worldwide.. Many user are leaving Iphones and android for Lumia. I say fuck them. We are always left behind.. Well lets start some new and make everyone flock to us. And make the app only for windowsphone 7.x and 8.x and 9.x if 9 is in the works. All hail windowsphone users..

Mark Zuckerberg should fired CEO Instagram immediately cuz of stupid actions.
users are the most valuable asset, why do they even throw???FUAAAKKKKKKyoouuuuuuu Instagram.
* Please do not ban me because of my words Dan :p

How petty!!! Maybe Nokia and D.G. should collaborate on an Instance site and develop Instance as a cross platform app :-) People are constantly blaming Microsoft for lack of "official" apps when often times the 3rd party apps are better due to the creativeness of the WP developers. I say it's time for a Windows Phone revolution. We are the ones being "left behind" being the "minority". I say we hit em where it hurts by recruiting users of other platforms to our cause.

It seems that the idiots behind the scenes on instagram have it in for Windows Phone. Where is the official app? I say some of these developers here on windows should partner up with Microsoft and create a photo app that will swamp instagram.

I would suggest microsoft to bribe people into using wp. Create a photo sharing app, ms will start sharing the photo to a random user, then he/she will also sjare it randomly, and so on, until the photo reach say the 10000th user, he/she wins a 1000 dollar. Do this for a year. I bet more people will use wp just to win. : )

...am I the only one who finds instagram to be a blight on the field of photography, or no? We've already had picture sharing abilities, the only thing instagram ever brought were sh*tty looking filters...if you want that, get Paint.NET, then upload. Secondly, I never use it, but visit this site often and its a constant game of whack-a-mole with these jackoffs. I don't get why any single person would want to be a part of a company that does this to its customers just because they're not using a certain platform.

If this is indeed true and Istagram is actively tracking users and deleting their pics if they don't use the official app, then I don't know why anyone would ever want to use a service from a company like that.
People need to wake up and see some of these companies for what they are, and stop using their services however good some people may think they are.

If Instagram doesn't make an App for WP, Microsoft should find a way to block their instagram page page from web explorers on Windows PC Os ... If they did that, i'm sure that instagram would released an App the next day!!!!!

Instagram is being the worst & the bitchiest bastard..!!
However thanks to Rudy Hyun & Gary like developers. Uninstalling Instafuck & PhotoPlay is much better with all size pictures like 16:9 4:3 or square whereas Instagram can take only square pictures.

You know what bother me most about this dick move from Instagram? How about the fact that I had the Instagram app on my iPhone for over two years, yet never actively started using it until I acquired my Lumia and made the switch to WP8...

I Truly believe Apple and Google are paying Instagram to stay only on their platforms. Either that or they HATE Microsoft so much and want nothing to do with them. By the actions Instagram are taking I believe both Apple & Google are fearful of WP taking over the top spot.

Where is our leader Microsoft and Nokia? I see an app like Hipstamatic that paid for access and yet our fearless leaders can't do the same for us? In the end, Microsoft has no balls and just sits there and does nothing for us. I guess they thought just because they are Microsoft people would come running to their feet. Anyway, this is getting old and im starting to give up. After all, why should I inconvenience myself when Microsoft won't do anything.

Well I just got a picture up using Instagraph (which I bought for the occasion)... it was a Roman Temple, but I did point out that it was posted from a Windows phone and screw them!
Of course I just had an account so a few people could see my holiday snaps and no one follows me, but its the principle that matters.

I say: Everyone who has a Facebook account and owns a WP should disable their account in Facebook until they fix this **** or make an Instagram app for Windows Phone.
I don't use Instagram, but I know that because it doesn't exist for WP people have doubts in changing their Android's or iPhone's.
So... we have power... we just need to start using it.

As a developer myself, the worst thing about this is that it shows Zuckerberg and others at Facebook are not one of us anymore. Money must have gone to their head. They forget they started Facebook using assets and another's system.

He made Billions of someone else idea!! Practically the same freaking idea to be exact. He's such an ass and that's why Twitter will always be #1 or Facebook and Vine will make a comeback from the idea he STOLE from them as well.

So, are the limiting ALL 3rd party apps or just Windows Phones 3rd party apps? Are there unofficial 3rd party apps on iOS or Android?

BTW - for those that use Hipstamatic Oggl - is there a way to upload pictures to it that I've already taken/have on the phone? Or if I want to upload to Hipstamatic and convresely to Instagram through it, i have to use the Hipstamatic Oggl app to take the photo?

Also - At least it isn't Instagram deleting whole accounts that use 3rd party apps like they did a month or so ago...

On the oggl app, you can't upload pictures already in your library. Only the ones you take with that crappy app. Not a 100% sure, but I looked all over the place for the "choose from picture library" button

I like Instagram simply because i don't ahve to wade through political (ill informed) political rhetoric, game invites, ads, 'suggested posts' and constantly don't have to switch from 'Top Stories' to 'Most Recent' to view pictures that my friends post.

1. REAL pictures of true significance are shared more personally, via text or email or such. Posting to instagram is just playtime for people to post mundane junk. When my friend wanted to show friends and family how her son lost his first tooth, she doesn't post that to instagram, twitter or facebook... she sends it out to everyone via email or text. Instagram is just junk. It can be fun, I'm not saying its not, but its not a serious communication tool... its just another time waster. Another friend of mine posts on Instagram and he takes pictures of the DUMBEST SHIT, its not even funny. He's always asking me when I'm going to get Instagram and I PROUDLY say "They don't have that for my phone". Even when he does take a picture of a genuine moment, he ends up re-posting it to other sites AND emailing/texting the same pic out because he knows its worth more than just posting on Instagram

2. Instagram will evolve like Reality Shows and Twitter: 'everyday' people will be crowded out by celeb-reality B.S. People jump on twitter now to follow celebrities, not to be 'heard' and communicate. That's what its evolved into. Instagram will get to the point where people only sign up to see what new pics Justin Bieber or Sarah Palin posted and not give a crap that their friend in Jersey just posted a picture of their french fries.

I don't care for Instagram but this??? This is why I'm so upset by the lack of major apps in our store. This is getting out of hand and I'm switching to iPhone as soon as I get the chance. Microsoft is getting to far behind w app development. This kinda crap would not happen if we had all the apps we need...but of course we don't.

I don't use Instaspam nor do I have any plan to but this lil bit of schoolyard bullying/petty snarkiness without actually offering any official solution is just reprehensible. Makes me ill to think consumers could still use a service that treats hardworking people trying to offer a solution/service like this...

You wanna see something happen? Go to the founders twitter and take this battle to their faces! @kevin and @mikeyk are the two *** in charge of Instagram, I say we make them SO sorry for their stupid narrow perspective ... >=(

i dont use it either BUT that doesn't mean that our small, but growing, WP community can get more momentum but pleasing to the ones who want the app. I dont have an Instagram account but I now have an idea how douchey they are.

Just another way that Facebook is alienating their User base. Let Instagram die, there are other places to post to.
It would be interesting if MS sued Instagram for acting to create a monopoly. I wouldn't mind a president limiting this kind of behavior.

No, if an official app was coming, they wouldn't want to piss off their customers. But a truly good business wouldn't piss off their customers anyway, so that just tells you what a crappy, poorly run business Instagram is.

So.. Their spending lot of time and effort to track down and removing 3rd party uploads. Hey, let's all just upload like crazy 24/7 until they can't handle it and be forced to make un official app. Come on! Get them pics on! :)

Solution: Microsoft should search for an up and coming start up with a social network with tons of potential and emerging user base. Then buy up said start up, create a a social networking platform with an entirely different but much more likeable ad model than Facebook. Load it up with Outlook email, SkyDrive and Skype integration, make all Live ID users members. And let it bleed out Facebook...heck....team up with Twitter and Yahoo! to support it further.

I'd say that the Verge is one of the sites that is the least friendly towards Microsoft. Actually, that may be why they are sharing it. Showing why and how Windows Phone will fail. I can't stand those guys at the Verge.

Dear Instagram.... I am not a user of your service, but I have an idea for you.... just hire Daniel Gary, re-brand Instance as the official Instagram client for WP and let him continue to develop and support the app for you! Problem solved, your users on WP will be very happy (instead of pissed off like they are right now), you won't have to develop the app from scratch, and you will have an in-house expert for WP development. Like it or not Instagram, WP is a growing platform, and even at 5-10% market share, we are still talking about potentially millions of Instagram users on WP. Let's end this nonsense and move on to something more productive. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Why is Instagram so important for everyone? Theres hundreds of ways to share photographs. If all WP users stopped using instagram in all of their devices (phone, pc, tablet), instagram will be the loser. How about Internet Explorer blocking Instagram all together? BTW I don't have an instagram ac and I am not even fussed to try it out. There's many things in the internet that we might not be able to live without, but instagram is none of those.

It's because Instagram has become such a huge social network. It's not all about the crappy filters, it's because all your friends with their iPhones and Android phones are already on Instagram. If they released a public API I've a feeling the advertising they're planning under Facebook's stewardship could be hidden. So they're going to continue the douchebaggery approach I fear

Hell. I used the instagraph, and my photos are only showing to me. It is disappearing all the photos. MY photos. More than 600 photos, dead (instagraph only). Hell hell. I hate instagram and I will not get oggl, cause I have WP7.8 hell hell.

Maybe MS/Nokia is doing this so that when the real instagram app is released, it will be used instead of the 3rd party ones. Then instagram later on will re-allow 3rd parties to create apps again. (just wishful speculation, time will tell). Just think, most windows phone owners that want instagram are using something right now so an official app my not get much love if/when it is released. This is called "forward thinking".

Except the absence of an official Instagram App has done more harm to Windows Phone's sales than good. We have to face the facts: people will not buy a phone when they see essential popular Apps like YouTube and Instagram are missing. Sure you have 3rd party Apps, but when you're new to a platform, you don't dive in the 3rd party apps right away. You first want to see the official ones.

Here's the REAL question folks. Since instgram is putting the effort to kick us out and not putting ALL effort in letting us in. Hoe many of you will sign up and use the site when it is available??? I'm taking my 1020 to flikr, the can have their crap hipster make my photo look like ass site.

I get it stumpy I feel like you. I purchased instance and setup a test pic weeks ago as to support the dev first and add +1 to the WP user count. I have no use for insta but millions use it, its growing like twitter did and we need support for it, and more apps like these, if we want any significant growth to the WP platform. I don't think its my job or duty to promote either apps nor platform; however I believe WP can be the best and therefore worth $1.50 and a few mins creating an account. I don't want to go back to iOS and surely don't want Android malware. Just my 2cp :)

Instagram is owned by FB as we know. FB is trying to launch their own platform based on Android. Connect the dots. Inspite of what MS is saying, they DO NOT have a good relationship. In fact, they are business enemies. Don't expect an official FB developed FB or Instagram app until the WP installed base is high enough that FB accepts defeat and is compelled to support the WP platform

Yes official because it's permitted to exist by FB, but Microsoft developed it. FB wouldn't even invest the time to develop it themselves or invest any effort in it. I'm surprised they don't do the same thing with Instagram but I guess they feel its more of a strategic product for them right now and don't want to give WP that advantage. Or maybe, its a timing thing. Maybe they simply agreed to let MS build a FB app before they realized they wanted to develop their own platform and compete with them. Now, with things being different, they may regret it and don't want to duplicate the mistake with Instagram.
Either way, building an app for instagram would take an average developer about 3 weeks to write. It's NOT a resource problem LOL. They are definitely fighting MS at this point and denying them something they know will help them

To be honest, I am one who came late to this game and I find it unappealing. And I am actually quite tired of people who have felt that WP is not worthy due to the absense of this one official app.

And I think if this is true, it is highly humorous that on same page they note that the content uploaded by users belongs to the users. Then they delete? That would be rich, now wouldn't it.
I think it was Paul Thurrott who noted that people would rather take a decent photo and trash it up to look like a poorly filtered polaroid than post a high qualiy shot. With so many social media sites all supporting similar features or at least providing a great forum to share, this might be the most over-hyped site of the season.